Martinez acknowledged that he grabbed rookie second baseman Derek Dietrich by the front of his jersey in early May and “overreacted” and “probably” swore with others in trying to be firm with some of the Marlins’ younger players.

“I want to apologize to the Marlins organization for my behavior,” said Martinez, 45. “I think I was frustrated at times, the way players were behaving and certain ways they were doing things. When I asked them to do something and they wouldn’t do it, whatever it may be, I thought the way to get through was by being firm with them, and I probably used some four-letter words.”

Martinez disputed media reports that he grabbed Dietrich by the neck.

“The only thing I’ve done is, I did grab Dietrich — we had a little thing in the [batting] cage one day — by the jersey,” Martinez said. “That was it. I never touched his neck. I never grabbed his neck. If anything else, [I want] his parents to know that because I have a 20-year-old son and I would be very upset if someone grabbed my son’s neck. That never happened.”

Sources, though, said Martinez — who was owner Jeffrey Loria’s personal pick to take over as hitting coach — displayed a pattern of abusive behavior from the start of spring training and made numerous threats.

“It’s all shocked everybody,” said one player, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. “He uses intimidation. It’s been a problem since Day One.”

I’m not shocked that Tino was a yeller. In fact, that’s one of the things that I liked about him as a player – the willingness and ability to get in someone’s face, behind closed doors, if they were jaking it. And, the swear words? Com’on, this is major league baseball. If you’re not cussing, you’re not speaking the native language.

As far as grabbing the player by his neck/jersey, that’s going to be he said, she said, and who knows where the grabbing took place. But, again, this isn’t Little League, it’s not high school or college. If a NFL coach grabbed a player by the front collar of his uniform and started screaming in his face at a practice, would that be news? Seriously…

Comments on Bam-Zoom-Tino!

But, again, this isn’t Little League, it’s not high school or college. If a NFL coach grabbed a player by the front collar of his uniform and started screaming in his face at a practice, would that be news? Seriously…

It actually would be news because there’s simply no place in any profession for one grown man to place his hands on another. If Tino did this, he was wise to resign before they justifiably fired his ass or before that player (whoever it was) beat the shit out of his coach.

A 45-year-old man in a baseball uniform treats 20 year-old men in baseball uniforms like men on a baseball field and might or might not have have hurt the feelings of some on occasion or “allegedly” “used intimidation,” and is forced to resign.

A 45-year-old man and corporate executive in the same industry has brought scandal after scandal to an organization (and “allegedly” “used intimidation” with an elderly woman to conceal one scandal according to court documents), made inappropriate public comment after inappropriate public comment about an employee and subordinate while that subordinate was in rehabilitation and the process of recovering from surgery, and also directed profane statements toward that employee and subordinate in a radio interview and is NOT forced to resign.

Martinez apparently didn’t get his job through a personal relationship of his father with Jeffrey Loria.

Picking up balls in the batting cage, that’s what this was all about, according to former Miami Marlins hitting coach Tino Martinez.

Three different Marlins refused to pick up balls in separate incidents, violating a standard practice during drills in which a coach “soft tosses” balls for players to hit, Martinez said.

Martinez, 45, confronted the players about it. The confrontations grew heated. Martinez admits to using vulgarity with each player and grabbing one of them, second baseman Derek Dietrich, by the jersey, but not — as some reports suggested — by the neck.

On Sunday, Martinez resigned after his actions became public, apologizing to the Marlins organization for his behavior and acknowledging mistakes to reporters.

On Monday night, he spoke exclusively by phone with FOXSports.com about the incidents that led to his demise, saying they were one-time disputes that did not linger.

Martinez, who had no prior coaching experience at the professional level, expressed wonder that young and inexperienced players would act, in his view, less professionally than some of his former New York Yankees teammates, players such as Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neill.

Martinez said he decided to speak out after talking with friends and asking them, “Do you realize I’m out of baseball basically because a couple of players didn’t pick up balls in the cage when I asked them to? As a coach, when I asked them to pick up the balls, why didn’t they just say, ‘Absolutely, no problem, I’ll do it right now.’ ”

Added Martinez: “I started thinking about it, thinking I’ve got to say something, not just let it go away. I’ve had a great reputation in this game for years. I walked away from the game with integrity. But now, to have a couple of kids try to ruin my name, I felt I had to say something and fight back.”

On Monday night, he spoke exclusively by phone with FOXSports.com about the incidents that led to his demise, saying they were one-time disputes that did not linger.

If they were one-time disputes then why did he resign? Either they weren’t one-time disputes or, if they were, his use of any sort of physicality was unacceptable and resignation (or termination) was the only way to handle it.

I was on vacation in Colorado last week & went to last Tuesday’s Marlins-Rockies game, and I saw the Marlins take batting practice in Coors Field. During the middle of BP, the 5-6 hitters around the cage collected all the baseballs in the cage and around home plate and tossed them towards the basket by the pitcher’s mound. So there were players on the Marlins who didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

Does this excuse what Tino did? In my opinion, no. If this kid didn’t like major league life getting paid $400K, earning $125 a day meal money on the road, sleeping in prime hotels and riding on chartered planes to where he couldn’t pick up a few baseballs in the indoor cage, then Tino should have reported the insubordination to the manager and GM so they could send this kid back to minor league life (which is what they eventually did).

Agreed. And the comparison of a professional sports culture and setting to a typical workplace environment in terms of appropriateness of conduct and language isn’t even valid. If I’m with the Marlins, this is handled much differently.

Violence in the workplace is no more tolerable in a stadium than it is in an office. You may not like it but that’s a separate issue.

This incident occurred on a sporting field, not “in a stadium” – Brian Cashman wasn’t forcing himself on a female employee in a stadium office (at least, not that we know of at the time).

People don’t necessarily equate this incident with violence in the workplace, or consider a coach confronting a 20 year old for violation of standard practice on a baseball field with harsh language, or God forbid the ‘f’ word, not “tolerable.” You may not like it, but that’s a separate issue too.

If no options were available to the Marlins but to request Martinez’s resignation for legal reasons under the circumstances, I’ll accept that explanation from a person licensed to practice law. Otherwise, it’s easy to call for “zero tolerance” when it’s someone else’s job or livelihood, and reputation.

77yankees wrote:

So there were players on the Marlins who didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

This smells in some ways of Dietrich learning of the incident with Valalka and provoking a coach that wasn’t well-liked in the same way, and with the same words (“why should I? I didn’t hit ‘em.”), as the earlier incident.

If Martinez grabbed the player’s jersey, then some type of disciplinary measure is appropriate – but this should not have grown into something where Martinez had to resign and answer questions in the media regarding a speculation of bipolar disorder.

People have concerns with the way the Marlins handled the matter. Martinez could have used some type of counseling for “bottling things up,” managing his emotions or temperament better, etc. That’s where the Marlins had an opportunity to step in and handle this internally to the benefit of all parties concerned.

Instead, the name Tino Martinez is not what it was weeks ago largely because a 20 year-old decided he was going to cause problems for a coach apparently not well-liked who had the temerity to ask him to help pick up baseballs as is a standard practice or tradition in the game two months after the “incident” and demotion to AAA – and LIED about the details of the “incident” according to witnesses.

I’ve had a great reputation in this game for years. I walked away from the game with integrity. But now, to have a couple of kids try to ruin my name, I felt I had to say something and fight back.”

That’s what it sounds like. No issues with him in NY for years.

I know owners of a local restaurant who have close ties to Major League Baseball and whose son is employed by the Tigers. Both the husband and wife know Tino personally through that relationship and both -esp. the wife, speak of him in only the most glowing of terms. She can’t say enough of what a great guy he is. Tino Martinez sacrificed on the Altar of Political Correctness.

Instead, the name Tino Martinez is not what it was weeks ago largely because a 20 year-old decided he was going to cause problems for a coach apparently not well-liked who had the temerity to ask him to help pick up baseballs as is a standard practice or tradition in the game two months after the “incident” and demotion to AAA – and LIED about the details of the “incident” according to witnesses.

No, it’s largely because Martinez decided to resign instead of seeing it through, or otherwise standing his ground. Glad to see the organization had Martinez’s back. It’s weird to me not to see any players come to Martinez’s defense either.

Anyway, it seems like a bad situation, maybe it’s for the best. Kevin Long’s contract’s up after this year, right?

Cashman might be an excellent fit for the position with Miami: 1. he led Catholic Univ. in hitting one year; 2. at 5’3″, he’s not going to be getting into physical altercations with any of the players; 3. he can relate to the average 20 year-old man better than most 45 year-old men; and 4. he’s got to be a better hitting coach than a G.M.

No, it’s largely because Martinez decided to resign instead of seeing it through, or otherwise standing his ground.

Martinez said he resigned because he thought that was what ownership and management wanted: “I I resigned because I felt the manager and general manager had lost trust in me somewhat.”Raf wrote:

It’s weird to me not to see any players come to Martinez’s defense either.

I followed the Yankees closely for many years when he was a respected member of the ballclub; he’s got my benefit of the doubt. I don’t know any of the 20 year olds that didn’t appreciate the way Martinez spoke to them.
He may have been a coach that wasn’t well-liked or popular – that’s one thing and a possible reason why no players came to his defense. He maybe he’s a bad coach. But no one corroborated the story that he grabbed a player by the throat. Maybe I’m missing something, but the organization didn’t seem to have his back and probably could have done more for him.Raf wrote:

maybe it’s for the best.

Hopefully he gets another job in baseball and a chance to resurrect his reputation.